If you want to keep the creatures on a tile or group of tiles alive, you must maintain their survival requirements as shown in the field guide. A bubble showing the food icon above a creature means the terrain doesn’t meet its food requirements. Watering or sunning that tile and/or the ones around will usually help. It is possible that the creature’s habitat requirements aren’t being met either. A mountain icon above the creature’s head means they aren’t in their correct habitat. You may be able to give them the right home with water or sunshine. Check their field guide entries to see what they need. You only have one day to satisfy your creatures’ survival needs.
If your special habitat dried out and changed into different terrain, some of your animals might be out of a home. If you want to save them, you need to restore that habitat by inviting the botanists again. Wait for the next cruise ship or use the conch. Again, you have only 24 hours to fix the problem.
Animals cannot be moved from where you find them except by saving their DNA and restoring it somewhere else.